Bowel dysfunction following radiotherapy

Hello Parkrunner 

Radiotherapy is very targeted in this day and age so expect to sail through your 20 fractions.

I had my Radiotherapy in early 2023 and towards the end of the fractions the fatigue kicked in, along with the increased frequency to pee, however this went back to normal just after I had completed my 20 fractions.

it's normal before each fraction for the staff to enquire about your general health and to ask about your bowel and urinary functions and if there have been any changes, indeed every day I was given a copy of the "Bristol Stool Chart" and ask to confirm just what my last movement looked like!!

To date no post radiation side effects.

You will be fine.

Best wishes - Brian.

Hi Parkrunner , I totally agree with Brian, RT is much more targeted than in the past.  I had 37 sessions of RT over 7 years ago.  It left me with slight radiation proctitis but nothing to stop me doing normal activities.  Urgency has slightly increased but with a little planning isn’t an issue.  The only time I have had real problems has been a couple of times after food poisoning or a bug, where I can’t control loose stools.  I have seen a few cases on here where guys have had problems but by far the majority sail through RT with just fatigue and boredom!

Thank you. That's very reassuring as the official channels only talk about up to 50% being affected, which hopefully it is much lower.

Thank you for your prompt reply - I appreciate hearing from those affected, as the official channels tend to be less optimistic (although I suppose they have to be cautious with their advice). 

Hello Parkrunner 

Towards the end of full pelvic RT I had some noticeable wind and mucus, but only during planned No2s. My bio also mentions one unexpected trip into the woods which I’m now convinced wasn’t due to RT, as it was very isolated and things returned to normal immediately afterwards. There may be a little more mucus now than before RT, which I don’t see as a bad thing. No urgency or other unplanned issues in the last 6 months.

In the lead-up to RT the oncologist gave me a sheet detailing all possible side-effects to sign, and there were a lot…! She did explain she was required to do that. You may find some of the data is based on ongoing results from earlier RT machines and doesn’t recognise individual’s fitness and existing conditions.

I think most RT treatment is now very carefully planned, controlled and focussed. After the CT for one fraction I was asked to have a walk and release some wind as it appeared the bowel size was slightly outside the tolerance line on their screen. I was totally unaware and that gave me a lot of confidence in the radiologists and the care being taken in their control room.

So my view is, if their bladder / bowel requirements are followed and they have you in a more recent machine, the chance of bowel issues is very low and there is nothing for you to worry about…